This offering maybe right, or wrong, but it is one, the other, both, or neither!Blog,-Some Suttas Translated,Ajahn Chah."Others will misconstrue reality due to their personal perspectives, doggedly holding onto and not easily discarding them; We shall not misconstrue reality due to our own personal perspectives, nor doggedly holding onto them, but will discard them easily. This effacement shall be done."

Udakupama Sutta (AN 7.15) emphasizes the utmost importance of five kinds of wholesome (kusala dhammas) that are necessary for successful self-awakening (beginning at Stream-entry) -- not "falling away" in the Dhamma again. Falling away in the Dhamma is comparable to sinking down into a deep water.

"There is the case where an individual comes to the surface, seeing: 'Conviction(saddha) in skillful qualities is good, conscience(hiri) is good, concern(ottappa) is good, persistence(viriya) is good, discernment(pa~n~naa, right understanding) with regard to skillful qualities is good.' His conviction neither remains nor grows, but simply wanes away. His conscience, his concern, his persistence, his discernment neither remain nor grow, but simply wane away. That's how an individual, on coming to the surface, sinks down again.

"And how does an individual, on coming to the surface, open his eyes & look around? There is the case where an individual comes to the surface, seeing: 'Conviction in skillful qualities is good, conscience is good, concern is good, persistence is good, discernment with regard to skillful qualities is good.' With the total ending of [the first] three fetters, he becomes a stream-winner, steadfast, never again destined for states of woe, headed for self-awakening. That's how an individual, on coming to the surface, opens his eyes & looks around."http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html................

The three fetters that must be eradicated in order to become a stream-winner are: 1. self-identity views, 2. uncertainty, 3. grasping at precepts & practice.

After becoming a stream-winner, eradication of two more fetters, i.e. sensual desire and ill will, will lead to Non-return.

The 'Simile of the Cloth' discourse(Vatthupama Sutta) of Majjhima Nikaya 7 describes the Non-return path attainment as follows.

"Knowing, monks, covetousness and unrighteous greed to be a defilement of the mind, the monk abandons them. [Note4] "Knowing ill will to be a defilement of the mind, he abandons it. Knowing anger to be a defilement of the mind, he abandons it. Knowing hostility to be a defilement of the mind, he abandons it. ... etc."When in the monk who thus knows that covetousness and unrighteous greed are a defilement of the mind, this covetousness and unrighteous greed have been abandoned. When in him who thus knows that ill will is a defilement of the mind, this ill will has been abandoned; ... etc."When he has given up, renounced, let go, abandoned and relinquished [the defilements] in part,[Note7] he knows: 'I am endowed with unwavering confidence in the Buddha... in the Dhamma... in the Sangha; and he gains enthusiasm for the goal, gains enthusiasm for the Dhamma, [Note8] gains gladness connected with the Dhamma. When he is gladdened, joy is born in him; being joyous in mind, his body becomes tranquil; his body being tranquil, he feels happiness; and the mind of him who is happy becomes concentrated.[Note9]......................................

Commentarial Notes:

Note 4: Abandons them (pajahati). "He abandons the respective defilement through (his attainment of) the noble path where there is 'abandoning by eradication' (samucchedappahana-vasena ariya-maggena)," which according to Sub.Comy. is the "final abandoning" (accantappahana). Before the attainment of the noble paths, all "abandoning" of defilements is of a temporary nature.

Note 7: Bhikkhu Ã`anamoli translates this paragraph thus: "And whatever (from among those imperfections) has, according to the limitation (set by whichever of the first three paths he has attained), been given up, has been (forever) dropped, let go, abandoned, relinquished. etc.

Note 8: "When reviewing (paccavekkhato) the abandonment of the defilements and his unwavering confidence, strong joy arises in the non-returner in the thought: 'Such and such defilements are now abandoned by me.' It is like the joy of a king who learns that a rebellion in the frontier region has been quelled." etc.

Note 9: The Pali equivalents for this series of terms are: 1. pamojja (gladness), 2. piti (joy or rapture), 3. passaddhi (tranquillity), 4. sukha (happiness), 5. samadhi (concentration). Nos. 2, 3, 5 are factors of enlightenment (bojjhanga). The function of tranquillity is here the calming of any slight bodily and mental unrest resulting from rapturous joy, and so transforming the latter into serene happiness followed by meditative absorption. etc.http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .nypo.html

The following short excerpt of MN 144 is about a brief advice for the permanent cessation of suffering(dukkha): for attainment of arahantship. It may be worthwhile to compare this advice with the famous Bahiya instruction : "In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself." [Ud 1.10 Bahiya Sutta]....................

I heard thus. At one time the Blessed One lived in the squirrels' sanctuary in the bamboo grove in Rajagaha. At that time, venerable Sariputta, venerable Mahacunda and venerable Channa lived on the Gijjha peak.

At that time venerable Channa was seriously ill. Venerable Sariputta getting up from his seclusion in the evening approached venerable Mahacunda and said. `Friend Chunda, let's approach venerable Channa to inquire about his health.' Venerable Mahacunda accepting venerable Sariputta's suggestion, both approached venerable Channa.

After exchanging friendly greetings with venerable Channa they sat on a side and venerable Sariputta said. ` Friend Channa, how are you feeling? Would you survive? Are the unpleasant feelings decreasing or increasing? Do the feelings show the increasing end or the decreasing end?'

`Friend Sariputta, I do not feel well, will not survive. My unpleasant feelings are severe and increasing, not decreasing. ... Friend Sariputta, I will take a weapon to end life.’ etc.

Then venerable Mahacunda said to venerable Channa: `Friend Channa, constant attention should be given to this too in the dispensation of the Blessed One. To the settled there is change, to the not settled there is no change. When there is no change, there is delight. When there is delight, there is no inclination. When there is no inclination, there is no coming and going.When there is no coming and going, there is no disappearing and appearingWhen there is no disappearing and appearing, there is no here or there, orin between. That is the end of unpleasantness....................

The "unpleasantness" here is a rendition of 'dukkha' (the most well-known rendition of dukkha is "suffering"). The end of unpleasantness is Nibbana! Thus this Arahant Mahacunda's 'formula for Nibbana' is a brief advice for the cessation of suffering.

We have read in Mulaka Sutta [AN 10.58] that 'sabbe dhamma' means "all phenomena" or "all things". It further states that the origin of 'sabbe dhamma' is 'chanda' (desire, interest) and that 'all things arise with contact'. Here, contact(phassa) is the coming together of three things: a sense-object, a sense medium("sense door"), and a consciousness.

" Friends, the origin of all things is interest, its beginning is attention, all things arise with a contact, they move with feelings, the foremost for all things is concentration, the authority for all things is mindfulness, all things are ennobled in wisdom, and the essence for all things is release. ..." [Metta.net's translation of AN 10.58]...........

From the cessation of contact through the Noble Eightfold Path ("the way") five other dhammas also cease: sensuality, perception, taints (cankers, asava) and, importantly, kamma! [See AN 6.63 Nibbedhika Sutta...........

All phenomena are also called 'the world' (see Loka Sutta, SN 35.82). Since desire, which is the origin of 'the world', no longer arises in arahants; therefore, conditioned phenomena do not originate in their unconditioned mind. It should be noted that wholesome ordinary people can abandon desire, but only temporarily.*************** Love Buddha's dhamma,yawares/sirikanya

There is a nice sutta, the Sankha Sutta, that explains, in black-and-white, that one's past kamma, no matter how unwholesome(akusala) it seems, can be transcended <undone> by upholding the precepts, developing right view, and practicing awareness-release(ceto-vimutti) that is imbued with good will, compassion, appreciation and equanimity..................

[Excerpt, SN 42.8 Sankha Sutta:]

"A disciple has faith in that teacher and reflects: 'The Blessed One in a variety of ways criticizes & censures the taking of life, and says, "Abstain from taking life." There are living beings that I have killed, to a greater or lesser extent. That was not right. That was not good. But if I become remorseful for that reason, that evil deed of mine will not be undone.' So, reflecting thus, he abandons right then the taking of life, and in the future refrains from taking life. This is how there comes to be the abandoning of that evil deed. This is how there comes to be the transcending of that evil deed.

"Having abandoned the taking of life, he refrains from taking life. Having abandoned stealing, he refrains from stealing. Having abandoned illicit sex, he refrains from illicit sex. Having abandoned lies, he refrains from lies. Having abandoned divisive speech, he refrains from divisive speech. Having abandoned harsh speech, he refrains from harsh speech. Having abandoned idle chatter, he refrains from idle chatter. Having abandoned covetousness, he becomes uncovetous. Having abandoned ill will & anger, he becomes one with a mind of no ill will. Having abandoned wrong views, he becomes one who has right views.

"That disciple of the noble ones, headman � thus devoid of covetousness, devoid of ill will, unbewildered, alert, mindful � keeps pervading the first direction [the east] with an awareness imbued with good will, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, & all around, everywhere, in its entirety, he keeps pervading the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will � abundant, expansive, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill will. Just as a strong conch-trumpet blower can notify the four directions without any difficulty, in the same way, when the awareness-release through good will is thus developed, thus pursued, any deed done to a limited extent no longer remains there, no longer stays there.[Repeat by replacing ill-will(metta) by compassion(karuna), appreciation(mudita) and equanimity(upekkha).]http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn42/sn42.008.than.html.................The above excerpt gives one explanation why Angulimala, who had killed 999 people before meeting the Buddha, turned around and later became an arahant.************Love Buddha's dhamma,yawares/sirikanya

The time would not pass. Somebody was playing with the clocks, and not only the electronic clocks but the wind-up kind too. The second hand on my watch would twitch once, and a year would pass, and then it would twitch again.There was nothing I could do about it. As an Earthling I had to believe whatever clocks said -and calendars.”― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

The articles sounds like if we abandon negative actions and I sense there is regret in it as well then we will overcome our negative karma? Am I getting it right? If i get that right then just with regret and not doing those actions again I will purify my karma?

Coz Angulimala though he regret and stopped completely at some villages he was beaten to pulp. Do share if I have gotten it wrong.

"Bear it, brahmin! Bear it, brahmin! you are experiencing here and now the result of deeds because of which you might have been tortured in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years" ~~ MN 86 ~~ (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html )

The articles sounds like if we abandon negative actions and I sense there is regret in it as well then we will overcome our negative karma? Am I getting it right? If i get that right then just with regret and not doing those actions again I will purify my karma? [/color][color=#BF0000]Dear waimengwan,I think the Buddha's advice in this sutta is to acknowledge our wrong deeds and repent, Once the acknowledgement is open-mindedly made, we then proceed to abandon the kamma effect through the Noble Eightfold Path development. Of course, no more wrong doing again, once we have understood that it is wrong/evil.----------Coz Angulimala though he regret and stopped completely at some villages he was beaten to pulp. Do share if I have gotten it wrong.

[quote="santa100"Bear it, brahmin! Bear it, brahmin! you are experiencing here and now the result of deeds because of which you might have been tortured in hell for many years, for many hundreds of years, for many thousands of years" ~~ MN 86 ~~ (http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html )

My avatar is one of many calligraphies painted by my teacher. Mitra Bishop, Roshi. She has them for sale to try to raise money for her building project. Also, if you purchase books on Amazon, you can use Amazon Smile and put in Mountain Gate (In Ojo Sarco, NM) and a small % will go to the monastery.

The Greatest Teacher makes it clear that craving(ta.nhaa) originates at "whatever seems endearing and agreeable in terms of the world" (ya.m loke piyaruupa.m saataruupa.m). And craving ceases when "whatever seems endearing and agreeable in terms of the world" is abandoned............

[Maha-satipatthana Sutta, DN 22:]

"And where does this craving, when arising, arise? And where, when dwelling, does it dwell?

"Whatever seems endearing and agreeable in terms of the world: that is where this craving, when arising, arises. That is where, when dwelling, it dwells.

"And where, when being abandoned, is this craving abandoned? And where, when ceasing, does it cease?

"Whatever is endearing & alluring in terms of the world: that is where, when being abandoned, this craving is abandoned. That is where, when ceasing, it ceases.

According to DN 22, they are : sense objects (forms, sounds, ..., ideas); sense-doors (eye, ear, ..., mind); consciousness at the sense-doors; six contacts(eye-contact, ..., mind-contact); six feelings; six perceptions; six intentions; six cravings; six direct thoughts and evaluations.

Daily Dhamma: How to End the Thought 'I Am' [Presented by Dr.Tep Sastri@ SariputtaDhamma/JTN/Mult]

Perceiving a person on a TV screen, is a perception-phenomenon that originatesfrom clinging [upaadana = clinging to sensuality, clinging to views <includingself views>, and clinging to mere rules and ritual]. Does an arahant who has noclinging see an empty TV screen? No, I think an arahant sees the same visibleform and hear the same sounds as we do; the only big difference is that there isno upaadana in him or her to cause the perception of a 'Self'(attaa) smiling andtalking.

It is more important to know how we may develop higher wisdom that leads toperception of 'anatta'(not-self) both internally and externally. Of the severalsuttas I have studied, the Khemo Sutta explains most directly and clearly (thePali words are mine):

[Venerable Khemaka:]

"Though, friends, an Ariyan disciple has abandoned the five lower fetters, therestill remains in him a subtle remnant from among the five groups of clinging, asubtle remnant of the 'I'-conceit, of the 'I'-desire, an unextirpated lurkingtendency to think: 'I am.'

"Later on he dwells contemplating the rise and fall of the five groups ofclinging, and he sees: 'This is the body ['iti rupa.m'], this is its arising['iti rupassa samudayo'], this is its passing away ['iti rupassa atthangamo'].These are feelings(vedana),... perceptions(sa~n~na),... mentalformations(sankhara),... this is consciousness(vi~n~nana), this is its arising,this is its passing away.'

"So, as he dwells thus in contemplation of the rise and fall of the five groupsof clinging, this subtle remnant from among the five groups of clinging, thissubtle remnant of the 'I'-conceit, of the 'I'-desire, this unextirpated lurkingtendency to think: 'I am' is brought to an end. [SN 22.89 Khemo Sutta. Walshetranslates.]------Note: the five lower fetters are: self-identity views(sakkaya-ditthi),uncertainty(vicikiccha), grasping at precepts &practices(sílabbata-parámása), sensual desire(káma-rága), and illwill(vyápáda).**************Love Buddha's dhamma,yawares/sirikanya

"What do you think, Malunkyaputta: the forms cognizable via the eye that are unseen by you — that you have never before seen, that you don't see, and that are not to be seen by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?"

"No, lord."[1]

"The sounds cognizable via the ear...

"The aromas cognizable via the nose...

"The flavors cognizable via the tongue...

"The tactile sensations cognizable via the body...

"The ideas cognizable via the intellect that are uncognized by you — that you have never before cognized, that you don't cognize, and that are not to be cognized by you: Do you have any desire or passion or love there?"

"No, lord."

"Then, Malunkyaputta, with regard to phenomena to be seen, heard, sensed, or cognized: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Malunkyaputta, there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress."

"Monks, I will teach you about new kamma and old kamma, about the ceasing of kamma and the path that leads to the ceasing of kamma. Listen well, pay close attention and I will speak.

"What, monks, is old kamma?"The eye [ear, nose tongue, body (touch), mind],[1] monks, is to be regarded as old kamma, brought into existence and created by volition,[2] forming a basis for feeling.[3] This, monks, is called 'old kamma.'

"And what, monks, is new kamma?"The action[4] one performs now by body, speech and mind. This monks, is called 'new kamma.'

"When, monks, by ceasing actions of body, speech and mind, one touches liberation,[5] this, monks, is called 'the ceasing of kamma.'

"And what, monks, is the path that leads to the ceasing of kamma?

"It is the Noble Eightfold Path, namely Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration. This, monks, is called 'the path that leads to the ceasing of kamma.'

Notes

1. Woodward quotes SA [SN commentary] as correctly pointing out that "Eye in itself is not old but it has come about by former actions [i.e., kamma.]"2. Cf. the classic definition of kamma at AN 6.63: 'cetanaaha.m bhikkhave kamma.m vadaami' "volition, monks, I declare to be kamma" (see A.nguttara Nikaaya: An Anthology translated by Nyaa.naponika Thera, Part II [WH 208-211], p.67).3. Vedaniiya.m. Hence a basis for craving etc.4. The same word kamma is used in the Pali.5. This is really the Third Noble Truth.6. The word here is kammanta. Right Action is specifically the observance of the first three precepts, i.e., abstaining from killing, theft and sexual misconduct.7. Kammanirodha-gaaminii-pa.tipadaa. The usual term for the Path is dukkhanirodha-gaaminii-pa.tipadaa "the path (or practice) that leads to the extinction of suffering." Here the link between kamma and dukkha is clearly brought out. Those who have attained the goal do not create even good kamma.